Our baby’s arrival and donating to the Anthony Nolan Trust

Welcome to the world little one! Our baby boy is now 17 weeks old (where has that time gone?!) and he’s definitely made such a huge impact on our lives. The past 4 months have literally flown by in what feels like a whirlwind of craziness and getting used to our new roles as parents. Sleep deprivation aside, becoming a Mum has been a revelation for me and I am enjoying seeing this little man grow and develop each day and can’t wait to see who he will become.

Whilst we were at the hospital waiting for him to be born, we were visited by someone from the Anthony Nolan Trust team who asked us if we would like to donate blood from the umbilical cord and placenta to the charity. Rich in stems cells, the blood is used for life-saving transplants for people with blood cancers like leukemia. We had no idea that this was an option beforehand and after looking through the leaflet were really happy to sign up for someone to be present after the birth to collect the blood. There’s no risk involved and it’s not intrusive in any way and at the time I didn’t know that they were in the room.

Once we were back on the recovery ward after his birth, someone from the Anthony Nolan team came around with a thank you present for our baby which included his ‘first certificate’, a ‘Little Lifesaver’ baby grow and a muslin cloth. Such a nice gesture and something I can keep for him to look back on when he’s older.